Stretcher for the paper or canvas of pictures



(No Model.)

J. N. ANDERSON. STRETOHER FOR THE PAPER OR CANVAS OP PICTURES. No; 472,021.

Patentqd Apr. 5, 1892.

III-ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STRETCHER FOR THE PAPER OR CANVAS OF PICTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,021, dated April 5, 1892. Application filed March 28, 1891. Serial No. 386,801. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. ANDERSON, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretchers for the Canvas or Paper of Oil, Water-Color, or Crayon Pictures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my'invention is to improve the construction of stretohers upon which the paper or canvas to be painted on is stretched, so as to make it dust-tight, to prevent the frame from contracting, and to afford a support for the paper back which is always pasted over the same, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved picture-frame, looking at it from the back and showing a portion of the same broken away so as to fully show the construction thereof; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the same.

Heretofore the backs of stretchers or frames upon which the paper or canvas of pictures is not satisfactory, for the reason that the area have been mounted have been covered or sealed with simply a sheet of paper, so as to keep the dust and moisture from affecting the back of the paper or the canvas upon which the picture was painted or drawn. In view of the fact that these stretchers consist of but four sidestrips, which are about onehalf to an inch thick, this method of sealing of the paper backing covering the space inclosed Within the stretcher-frame is unsupported and is liable, except when handled by the most careful persons, to become punctured and torn, which, besides exposing theback of the canvas or paper upon which the picture is mounted, presents a ragged condition, which collects more dust, and thereby subjects the said canvas or paper to worse conditions than if the back of the stretcher had not been sealed at all. My invention avoids these objections, and, besides keeping out the dust and moisture, materially strengthens the construction of the stretcher, so that it is not liable to break or become affected by warping or shrinkage to the injury of the picture itself.

The stretcher-frame A usually consists of four strips corresponding in transverse dimensions and of such length that when secured together they form a suitable rectangular open frame, as shown. The canvas or paper to be mounted on this frame has its edges preferably overlapping the outer sur- 6o face of the frame and are, after the canvas or paper is drawn taut over thefront of the frame, preferably cemented to the sides thereof.

The inner edges of the back of frame A are provided with a rabbet a, which is preferably parallel with the outer contours of the frame and has seated therein a board C. This board is preferably very thin and corresponds in thickness to the depth of the rabbet, so that when seated and secured therein, as shown, the back of the frame will be plain and level.

D representsa sheet of paper or other suitable material, which is pasted over the entire back of the frame, so as to cover over the board 0 (which affords it a solid back) and over cracks between its edges and the side walls of the rabbetsa of the frame. By this construction the moisture and dust cannot obtain access to the rear surface of the paper or canvas upon which the picture is mounted.

I am aware that the rear of picture-frames have been covered over with a board backing. This, however, is entirely different from the invention hereinbefore described, which is limited in its application to a picturestretcher and which bears the same relation to a picture-frame that the ordinary stifi cardboard picture would to the frame in which it p I was placed and which surrounds it.

What I claim as new is A rectangular stretcher-frame A, consisting of four strips suitably connected and having the inner edges of its back provided with a rabbet a, and a picture canvas or paper secured over the front of said frame, in combination with a board B of such proportions as to correspond in surface dimensions to the area inclosed by the side walls of the said rabbets in which it is seated and secured, and

a paper backing D, pasted over the back of we I said frame, so as to cover over said board C, as set forth.

ROBERT R. PRYOR, FRANK D. THOMASON. 

